Harvard-Westlake Heads to Final

Bill Strickland scored three goals, Joe Axlerod made 20 saves, and third-seeded Harvard-Westlake pulled away in the final quarter to defeat Foothill, 7-4, in a Southern Section Division I semifinal boys’ water polo match at Pepperdine.

The Wolverines (23-4) will face top-seeded Long Beach Wilson for the title Wednesday at the Belmont Plaza pool.

“We’re going to go after them,” said Coach Rich Corso of Harvard-Westlake, whose team will be returning to the Division I final for the first time since 1993.

Foothill, which upset second-seeded Newport Harbor in the quarterfinals, did not go quietly. The Knights scored three second-quarter goals to force a 3-3 tie at halftime, but the Wolverines took a 5-4 lead after three quarters and Axlerod shut out Foothill the rest of the way.

Jason Malinsky had two goals for Harvard-Westlake.

In other water polo games:

Santa Monica 11, Burroughs 6--Six players scored for the Vikings, who defeated the Indians for the second time this season in a Southern Section Division III semifinal at Mira Costa High.

Junior Jason Falitz had five goals for Burroughs (20-10) to raise his career total to 198, fourth on the Southern Section list.

Alex Triandos also scored for Burroughs. Goalie Nick Triandos made nine saves.

Ventura 8, Agoura 5--Mike Derse scored both of his goals in a three-goal fourth quarter for the Cougars (26-1) in a Southern Section Division IV semifinal victory at UC Santa Barbara.

Chad Caldwell had three goals and Dave Miller had six saves for Ventura, which outshot the Chargers (19-8), 22-15.

Mike Campbell had three goals and Justin Rosa had 10 saves for Agoura.

GIRLS’ TENNIS

Southern Section Individual Tournament--Tiffany Brymer of Rio Mesa and Brooke Borisoff of Agoura advanced to the Southern Section round of 16, to be held Dec. 3 at The Racquet Club of Irvine.

Brymer defeated Melissa Nguyen of Campbell Hall, 6-2, 6-1, and Borisoff downed Christie Posner of San Luis Obispo, 6-2, 5-7, 6-4, in third-round matches.

In doubles, Margo O’Donnell and Rebecca Hunau of Simi Valley defeated Kelly Hanker and Katelyn Rader of Harvard-Westlake, 6-1, 6-1, and Theresa Galido and Kinsley Carnahan of Chaminade beat Shannon Flynn and Krista Guggia of Santa Maria St. Joseph, 6-2, 6-2.